A Bloody Jewel
by TanyaNonsutoppo
Summary: A girl whose name is unknown is attacked then taken to the home of a kind, young man to be taken care of, the Nurse, Nan, will make sure that the girl is taken care of physically... but will the psychological damage be like a permanent scar for the girl?
1. Part One

**A Bloody Jewel**

**Part One**

**By Tanya Nonsutoppo**

It was evening in a town, the sun was about to set and the clouds had a reddish tint to them.  The town itself was rather small and had a few alleys, the main street was paved with bricks and the buildings were rather small lengthwise but they made up for it by being somewhat tall.  It was in fact an old town, and most of the inhabitants liked it just fine that way.  It was a welcome place for those who were tired of big cities but couldn't handle camping out.  People walking through the town were friendly and enjoyed the fresh air.  As people walked by though, someone was watching them from in an alleyway.  A young girl who seemed to be a rather young teen was walking by.  She wore a pink skirt and a white blouse along with sneakers.  Her long, hair was tied up in a ponytail with a ribbon.  The girl was dainty and cheerful as she hummed a song that only she knew and skipped along.  She didn't appear to notice that the one who was watching everyone was coming out of the shadows as she came near the alley.  A voice brought the girl to know that there was someone there.

"Miss, would you come here please?  I need some help picking out flowers for my girlfriend."  The young man who had been watching everyone said as he approached her.  She stopped and looked at him and then nodded.

"Of course I'll help you!" she answered cheerfully as she followed him as he led her into the alley.  The man smirked and then fell into step next to the girl, then slowed down as she kept up the same pace until she was at the end of the alley, a dead end.

The girl turned around; "I don't see any flowers here, sir…?" she was cut off when she saw the man pulling his fist back.  He punched her in the face repeatedly until she fell to the ground then sat on her to hold her down as he got out a knife.

"Now I've got you!" he bellowed as he slashed at her then slammed the knife into her midsection.  The girl struggled, not knowing what to do, only knowing that she was in pain and had to get away, the man pulled the knife out of her and put it away, then, just as he was about to tear her clothes off of her, he heard something.  He slapped her hard in the face, causing her to lapse into unconsciousness.  He then threw her into the nearly empty street and ran off as people stared in shocked silence.

Another young man who looked remarkably like the other could be seen running towards the crowd that was around the girl, he pushed his way through and upon seeing the girl his eyes widened, "Oh my God…" he muttered as he went to her beaten and bleeding body and tried to see if she was awake.  She wasn't of course; "Someone get me some clean cloths!  I'll try to stop the bleeding long enough to get her to my nurse!" he shouted to the crowd.  A woman handed him her plain white apron to use as a bandage, he nodded and used it to try to stop the bleeding, which slowly subsided enough for him to clean her up a bit while the crowd moved out of his way.  He picked the girl up and then, holding her close to his body to try to keep her from being jostled too much, he ran to his mansion nearby.

Later after the girl had been washed up somewhat and bandaged, Porter stood by the side of his large bed, the one she occupied, and watched her; "She's so beautiful…  Who would want to hurt such a beautiful girl...?" he muttered, trying to figure out what had happened to her.  A chubby woman with brown hair walked to his side and looked at him.

"Sum'un wan'in sumpin frum'er, tha's 'oo…" she answered, he didn't answer, instead he just smoothed the girl's hair out, the woman looked at him; "Ah'm alsuh sansin' ya lahk tha gal a bit more'n ya let on…" she said, smiling a bit at him.  He looked at her and shook his head.

"I don't know, Nan… I think I just feel bad about knowing that if I hadn't waited so long to go for my walk that she'd be alright… I'da been able to protect her…  Then at least I'd know her name…" he said in reply, then looked back at the girl, Nan nodded and left.


	2. Part Two

**A Bloody Jewel**

**Part Two**

**By Tanya Nonsutoppo**

The girl opened her eyes slowly a little and saw Porter looking down at her.  She quickly closed her eyes and tried to move away from him, thinking he was the one who attacked her.  Porter saw that and shook his head.

"Shh…  It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you…  I brought you here to my home where my nurse can take care of you..." he said soothingly.  Trying to calm her down, he moved some hair out of her face, she moved away from him and suddenly started coughing up blood.  Porter's eyes widened, "NAN!  NAN!!" he called, watching the girl worriedly, he sat her up and gently pounded her back, slowly her coughing subsided and she looked at him, she was half scared, half grateful to him, this man who so much resembled her attacker in looks, but not attitude.

Porter laid her back down gently onto some pillows that he propped up for her, "See?  I didn't hurt you, did I?" he inquired, moving some stray hairs out of her face, "You rest now…  Ok?  If anything happens or you need me, I'll be nearby.  Don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything, ok?" the girl nodded at him just as Nan ran into the room.

"Wha hapn'd Pohteh…?  Wah is'she 'wake!?  She show'd be slepin!  Nowt foulin' off wid yo!  O't!  O't!  O't!  Le'te powr gal sleep!" Nan scolded, startling both Porter and the girl.

"Y-yes ma'am!" Porter said, then rubbed the girl's shoulder a little, "I'll be back to see how you're doing when Nan let's me back in, ok?" he asked, she nodded and relaxed a bit at his words and touch.

Nan pushed Porter out of the room then turned to the alarmed girl, who was staring at her with wide eyes.  She laughed a little and smiled warmly at her, "Naw dun ya wor'y, Ah'm nuh meanie, but ya nied'ta git warshed up, yar filthy darty an' niedin' a barth!" she said cheerfully as she went to the side of the bed and got Jewel ready for a bath before bathing her with a warm, wet rag gently.

In the hallway outside the door Nan had pushed Porter into; he waited right at the door, listening intently.  He was so busy waiting that he didn't notice an older man rise out of his chair nearby.

"Hello Mr. McKain…" the older addressed the younger, who looked up in alarm.

"Oh!  Hello Jek, I didn't know you were out here." He said, greeting the older man.

"I don't think I've ever seen you look so impatient to go into you're bedroom, are you worried that Nan will find those comics of yours?" Jek asked.

Porter shook his head, "No, not about those… and they're called 'manga' by the way…"

"Oh…  Is it that girl you brought back a few hours ago?" Jek asked; Porter nodded a bit sheepishly.  Jek nodded understanding then after waiting for more explanation and getting none, "I see…  Though…  Mr. McKain, you know you can't 'keep' her and she might not even live through this… don't you?"

"Yes… but I want to help her… at least find out what her name is anyways… if she wants to leave once she's better, she can… I'm not one to hold her back… I know that she's not mine and that if she chooses to leave then she can… I admit I'd miss her, but I wouldn't stop her or try to convince her otherwise…" Porter explained as he moved to a more comfortable position of leaning against the wall.

"I'm glad to hear that you don't think that you can keep her or that she owes it to you to stay…  You've got a good head on your shoulders…" Jek said with a slight smile as he put a hand on Porter's shoulder; "Though, one bit of advice.  Don't give her your heart… She'll only break it if she ends up dying…"

Porter nodded, "I know…  My question is…  Why would anyone want to hurt her?" he asked.

"That is one thing that I do not know…  They might've wanted her body or they might've wanted revenge, maybe on her family, or it might even be a random act of violence… I'm not sure…" Jek answered, he couldn't bear to see his employer like this, but knew it was best to be truthful in situations such as this…


	3. Part Three

**A Bloody Jewel**

**Part Three**

**By Tanya Nonsutoppo**

It had been quiet for some time after Jek and Porter had come to an abrupt halt in talking, by now the sun was about to set and the light was dim and almost cozy.  It was then that Nan stuck her head out of Porter's room, now the room that the girl occupied, and looked at Porter and Jek, "Pohteh… da gal… shez warse den Ah thot…" she told them as she wiped her hands on her apron, Porter was about to sprint to the door so she got in the way, "Naw Pohteh!  S'op it rah naw!  Ledmie git'r dresd befoh ya ruwn in on 'er!"

Porter turned red and stopped immediately, "Oh…  Sorry…" he said as he leaned again on the wall next to the door with a sigh to wait.

Nan chuckled a bit and looked at Jek, "'E likes 'er alraht." She commented, causing Porter to turn another shade of red.  Jek laughed and patted Porter on the shoulder soundly.

"Mr. McKain you are an odd man." He said before going back to the chair he had been in; "You just watch out and don't let her take your heart with her if she dies…  Ok?  I'm just telling you so that you have some idea what might happen if you fall too deeply in love with her…"

Porter nodded, he was only half listening, he was more interested in seeing the girl…  Maybe if he was allowed back inside his room in time, he could help the girl get to a seat and they could watch the sunset together.

It was a mere ten minutes later that Nan opened the door and let Porter in; "Naw ya jus' beh nas an' dun be a botha…" she said as she went to sit by Jek and talk with him.  

Porter rushed in and saw the girl propped up in the bed, he smiled kindly at her and went over to sit next to the bed; "Hello again…  How're you feeling now?" he asked her, she looked up at him and he caught a glimpse of her violet eyes before she nodded and closed her eyes, relaxing; "That's good… and… you have the most beautiful violet eyes…" he commented, the girl blushed a little, and nodded thanks at him.  His hand reached out towards hers and she looked at it, then at him, then she let him hold her hand.

He squeezed her hand reassuringly then smiled at her and let go, the girl smiled back at him, out of the corner of his eye he saw that now would be as good a time as ever to help her to a chair if she wanted to watch the sunset.  "Um… would you like to watch the sunset with me?" he asked a bit timidly, the girl nodded with a smile; "Ok then, do you mind if I pick you up to take you to a chair?" she shook her head, telling him it was alright.  He put an arm around her and he lifted her slightly to get his other arm under her knees, he then picked her up with ease and carried her carefully to a chair near the window.  The girl opened her eyes and smiled as she watched the sunset with him.

Porter stood behind her and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder to steady her when he saw she was having a hard time.  She smiled thanks at him and continued watching the sunset.  Porter smiled down at her then turned his attention to the sunset as well.  It was beautiful with many reds and blues and all the colors in between.  He stood transfixed, watching as the orb went lower and lower until it left his and the girl's vision, but the colors were still beautiful, they both watched for a few more minutes before the comfortable silence was broken by the girl's yawn.

"Getting tired?" Porter asked as he kneeled next to her, still steadying her with his hand on her shoulder.  She nodded a little, "Would you like me to put you in the bed?" again she nodded and then let him pick her up and carry her to the bed.  He stopped half way; "Can I ask you something?" she nodded curiously at him and he went on, "… Can you maybe tell me your name?"

The girl looked at him and opened her mouth as if to speak, but when she answered him, her voice was too quiet to hear, Porter nodded a bit.

"I see… I guess you're still too weak to talk…  Do you mind if I call you Jewel for now until you can tell me your real name?" he questioned, she nodded and blushed slightly. "Thank you…  It's kind of hard to always be referring to you as 'the girl'" he said, Jewel smiled at the comment, regarding it as funny.  Porter smiled at her and then carried her the rest of the way to the bed and laid her gently on it.

Jewel slowly closed her eyes, as did the worn out Porter, the latter sitting in a chair next to the bed and resting his head on the bed without realizing it as he fell asleep.  Jewel was awake though and she heard the footsteps of Nan and Jek fading away as they headed to their own rooms.  She began to think, to think of what had happened that she had been brought here by the kind young man, Porter.  She opened her eyes then remembered being attacked by a man who looked almost exactly like him, her eyes widened and she glanced at Porter.  She began to wonder if Porter was the man putting up a front of kindness and preparing to attack her.  Then she looked at Porter for a while, then realized that he had no scar where her attacker had a large one over his eye.  She gave a silent sigh of relief before she began to drift off to sleep.


	4. Part Four

**A Bloody Jewel**

**Part Four**

**By Tanya Nonsutoppo**

It was night now, the starry skies were cloudless and the moon was visible through the trees from the street.  The street had one person on it though, one person who destroyed the beauty of the night.  It was the same man who had attacked Jewel.  He looked up at Porter's mansion, remembering the sight of Porter running with the girl into there.  He climbed the gate silently and snuck inside.  He slowly found his way to Porter's room and thought as he stood outside the door, "… She must be in here…  Where the hell else would he have her…?" he muttered.  He quickly got quiet though when he heard Porter stir.  He heard nothing more so he opened the door cautiously and looked in, sure enough, there they were.  Jewel asleep on the bed with Porter asleep next to with just his head on the bed.  He grinned, "Hehe… easy…"

Jewel heard him say that and opened her eyes, seeing him, she made a small, scared sound as she tried to wake Porter, he woke up finally and looked at her, "… What is it Jewel…?" he asked, then he saw the other man, "I see…" he stood up and faced him, "Who are you and why are you here?" he demanded.

"I am Bruce and I'm here to finish something I started… you just stay outta the way if you wanna live to see tomorrow…" the man answered flatly, as if trying to drop the subject.

Porter frowned, "What job!?  I demand you answer me this second!" he ordered, placing a hand on the hilt of the sword that he wore in his belt.

Bruce pointed to Jewel, "If you must know, that one… she's half dead and it's my job to put her out of her misery!" he said gruffly, about to hit Porter away from the bed.  Porter had his sword up in time to stop Bruce and gave him a rather large cut on his arm.

"I refuse to let you harm her in any way!" he stated daringly, glaring at Bruce.

"So be it…  Your body will be found next to hers by morning…  It won't be a very pretty sight for whoever the hell works for you!" Bruce concluded arrogantly, holding his arm where it had been cut and was bleeding freely.

"We'll just have to see…  You won't hurt her as long as I'm around…  That's for sure…" Porter stated as he readied his sword.

Bruce smirked, "Ah, love…  Wanna know what I think of it!?  THIS!" with that he punched Porter fiercely in the stomach, causing Porter to be sent flying, with a grunt his head hit the wall.  Bruce walked to him, Porter quickly swung his sword at the brute and gave him a second scar to wear on his face.  Bruce kicked Porter in the side hard, "Just give up!" he shouted.

Porter glanced at Jewel, and saw how scared she looked, "Don't worry Jewel…  He won't lay a hand on you…" he assured her, his sword was at Bruce's neck now even though Porter himself was still down and half-leaning against the wall.

Bruce smirked and grabbed the sword by the blade, then skillfully twisted it out of Porter's grip and shoved it into his stomach, "Die ya stupid lover-boy…" he muttered as he started to walk to the bed, pulling out his knife as he did.

Jewel tried to hide under the covers, neither her nor Bruce noticed as Porter pulled the sword out of himself.  With a grunt Porter shoved it into Bruce's foot, causing it to bleed and give way under him.

"Never… I'll never let you near her as long as I'm here to stop you…" he muttered.  His voice was weak but there was a determination in his voice that made him sound loud enough to be heard by both Jewel and Bruce, who was now on one knee nursing his injured foot.

"You…  Damn you…" Bruce said as he punched Porter hard in the head, forcing him to quiet and his head to bleed.

Jek and Nan had meanwhile run in from being awakened by the commotion and Jek held a gun cocked and ready; "What's going on in here!?" Jek demanded as he looked Jewel, Porter, and Bruce over, he pointed his gun at Bruce, "I'll give you ten seconds to tell me why you're here and who you are!" Bruce stared a second at him before jumping out the window, breaking the glass.  Jek ran to the window and shot at Bruce until he was gone from sight, "There…  He's gone now…" he said, turning to the others, "Nan, you make sure the girl is alright, I'll help Mr. McKain…" Jek put his gun down on the floor and unbuttoned Porter's shirt to examine his injuries.

Nan was already checking on Jewel as she announced "Da gal's fahn… jus sceared… luks lahk Pohtah wa' relly putt'n ahp a faht fo 'er…" she looked at Jek and Porter, "Haw's Pohteh?" she asked worriedly.

"Looks like a huge, bloody bruise on his stomach and an injury to his head..." he answered, about to go get bandages and something to clean Porter's injuries with.

Porter suddenly jumped up, holding his stomach, and looked at Jewel, "Jewel…!" he exclaimed, obvious concern in his voice.  His head injury was bleeding into his eye and he saw red through it, but he saw Jewel clearly through the other eye.  He saw she was alright and let out a sigh of relief, "Good…  He didn't get her…" he mumbled as Jek got him to sit and lean against the wall.

"Just calm down Mr. McKain…  That man, whoever he is-…"

"Bruce…  He said his name is Bruce…"

"He didn't get near her…  He ran off as soon as he saw that I had a gun…"

"Thank God…" Porter muttered as he slowly fell asleep from exhaustion.  Jek looked at Nan and gave her a knowing look then nodded.  She nodded back at him before going to get the bandages and something to clean Porter's injuries with.


	5. Part Five

**A Bloody Jewel**

**Part Five**

**By Tanya Nonsutoppo**

It was a few days after Jek had scared off Bruce, and everything was peaceful in the McKain mansion.  Jek and Nan did their chores while Porter watched Jewel as she slept.  His wavy, dark hair was brushed but allowed to go anywhere.  He wore no shirt and had bandages on his stomach and on his forehead just above his eye.  Jewel slowly woke up and saw him.  She smiled, then blushed at the sight of him without a shirt, he laughed a bit.

"Good morning Jewel, did you sleep well?" he asked, smiling at her, she nodded that she had, in fact, slept well, "Would you like to go outside for a bit?  Nan said it would be alright for a while and that the fresh air will be good for us.  Plus it's such a nice day out, why miss it and spend the whole day in here?  What do you say?" 

She nodded happily, grinning.

"Maybe you should try walking a bit in here first, just in case…  I'll help you get up…" he told her, picking her up gently then lowering her feet to the ground, he held her up until she got her balance, "Ok…  Now, I'll steady you if you lose your balance… if you can't get very far and start to fall, I'll catch you… ok?" 

With a nod at him, Jewel slowly started to take a step, she made about three steps before falling back onto him, already worn out.

"I thought so…" he muttered as he picked her up gently, "I'll have to get Jek

to get a wheelchair for you to use… alright?"  She nodded at him and he smiled at her; "I'll get him, you rest a bit, ok?" She nodded then rested her head against his chest, he couldn't help but smile more at her.  A second later though, he winced.  His injuries were hurting; he put Jewel gently on the bed, then sat down, holding his stomach, "Urgh…" he muttered quietly.

It was then that Jek walked into the room, and, noticing Porter, said, "Mr. McKain you should tell us when your injuries are hurting…"

"I do…  They just started hurting though…  I'll be fine…  Uh, could you please get a wheelchair for Jewel though?"

Jek nodded, "Of course…  I'll get Nan to look at your injuries too…" 

Before Porter could protest, Jek had left.  Porter shook his head in exasperation.

Jek walked down the hall towards the stairs, on his way he heard humming, it was Nan and she was cleaning one of the rooms of the house.  He walked over to her and cleared his throat to get her attention, "Nan…"

"Wahsit deah?" she asked him.

"I think Porter's injuries are bothering him, you should maybe take a look…"

"Ah 'k, Ah'll guh seh 'bot it den." She said as she walked out of the room and towards Porter's room.

Jek smiled and went down the stairs and to the storage closet, he opened it and saw the old wheelchair that had belonged to Porter's father before he passed away.  He pulled it out and dusted it off before heading up the stairs and to Porter's room, where he could hear Porter.

"Naaaann…!" he heard Porter protest as he walked in and saw that Porter was wearing a shirt now and had new bandages.  Jewel looked half amused as she watched Porter and Nan, the latter ordering Porter not to push himself too much.

"Naw ya jus' lis'n awp, yar gonna not pash yarsef tuh mush, gawt it!?" Nan ordered.

"Yes Nan…" Porter said, giving in.

Jek laughed as he entered, "Hahahaha!  Porter, Jewel's wheelchair is ready, its at the bottom of the stairs.  Think you can carry her?" he asked, humor apparent in his eyes.

Porter nodded, "Of course I can, Jek!" he told him defensively.

"Do you think Nan will let you though?"

"Uh…" Porter said, turning his head to look at Nan pleadingly, "I sure hope so…"

Nan laughed, "Naw ya jus' guh awn an' take her awt, ya kin curry 'er dawnsters!"

Porter gave an audible sigh of relief, "Thanks Nan!" he said as he went to the bed and gently picked Jewel up, "You ready to go outside Jewel?" he asked with a smile.  As an answer, Jewel nodded happily.  With a laugh, he carried her out of the room and slowly down the stairs to the waiting wheelchair.

Jek and Nan, who were watching them from the stairs, laughed.  Jek smiled at Nan, "Those two are quite the pair…  I wouldn't be surprised if she survives and they end up together!" he said heartily.  They both laughed more before going on with their duties.


	6. Part Six

**A Bloody Jewel**

**Part Six**

**By Tanya Nonsutoppo**

Porter gently placed Jewel into the wheelchair, then smiled and kissed her gently on the cheek as he wrapped a warm blanket around her to keep her warm; "There, now we can go outside…" he told her, she smiled happily and he grinned as he pushed her wheelchair out of the house and into the yard.

Jewel squinted a bit as her eyes adjusted then looked around, an overjoyed smile on her face.

Porter smiled and laughed a bit, "You like being outside, don't you?" He asked her cheerfully; Jewel nodded happily as Porter pushed her out of the yard, "So, would you like to go through town?" he inquired, her smile brightened and her nod told him she would.  He grinned and they set off towards town.

Minutes later, they entered the town and Porter watched Jewel as she looked around at everything, grinning happily until they got near the alley she had been attacked in.

It was then that Jewel grew scared and made a small whimper as she leaned away from the alley, a scared look on her face, Porter saw this and what had caused the reaction.

"You don't want to go near there, huh?  Isn't that the alley you were attacked in?  … Well, we'll just give it a wide berth then." He told her reassuringly as she nodded and he steered her away from the alley.

A second later he heard something and looked up, then smiled, "Uh oh, here come the kids!" he joked as a group of about five children ran towards them.

As the children grew nearer, they noticed the couple and stopped to greet them, "Hello Mr. McKain!  Hello Lady!" They said in unison.

Jewel recognized one of the children and smiled brightly, as though trying to catch their attention.  It was the little girl with long, blonde, braided hair that was just a few shades darker than that of Jewel and electric blue eyes.  In a way, she looked incredibly like a younger version of Jewel.

Porter and Jewel smiled at them as Porter replied in kind "Hello there, kids!" he said cheerfully, then noticed Jewel's smile and figured she liked children.  He then returned his attention to the children, "So, what're you all up to today, kids?" he asked

A girl who had shoulder-length black hair grinned, "We're going to the Chocolate vault!"

Porter smiled, "You mean the new candy shop a few blocks down?" he inquired.

A little boy spoke up, "Yah!  And now they have more candy as well as chocolate sundaes!" The girl Jewel had recognized as well as another girl laughed.

"Hehe!  Tommie and Cassie just want the sundaes!" the girl who Jewel had recognized exclaimed.

The other girl who had laughed grinned, "Hahaha!  So do you Jené!"

Porter chuckled, "How much money do have for this little snack?" he asked them.

Cassie pulled out a little drawstring purse and counted the money in it, "Just enough for a sundae!" she exclaimed happily, as though one would be more than enough for all.

Porter thought a second, "Well, I say each of you should be able to have your own, how much for each sundae is it?"

Tommy spoke up this time, "Fifty cents each I think…"

Porter, smiled and handed them three dollars, "Here, this should be enough for one each, you can split the extra among yourselves to buy yourselves something nice for on the way home." He told them, they stared at the money in amazement.

After a while, the children grinned up at Porter, "Thank you Mr. McKain!" they said happily before running off.

Porter laughed as he watched them go, "Those kids…  I just wish I could help them more, but knowing how much pride their mothers have in their family being able to get what they need on their own, they won't very well let me…  Heh…" he said, as he looked at Jewel, who smiled and nodded a bit.

Jené, now down the street from Porter and Jewel, suddenly stopped then looked back.  She shook her head, "Non... elle ne pourrait pas avoir été Gizele... ou pourrait elle avoir été?" she asked herself, thinking hard. (No... it couldn't have been Gizele... or could it have been?)

Tommy, who was far ahead of her, turned back, "Come on Jené!  Hurry up!" he called to her.

Jené snapped out of it, and looked at him, "Oh!  Right!  I'm coming!" she called back to him as she ran to catch up.


	7. Part Seven

**A Bloody Jewel**

**Part Seven**

**By Tanya Nonsutoppo**

It was a few hours after Jené and the other children had left the Chocolate Vault and Jené was just getting home.  She stood in the doorway and called inside, "Maman!  Je suis à la maison!" (Mama!  I am home!) she called.  A woman came out of a room and smiled at her.

"Bienvenue, mon chou!" (Welcome home, my cabbage!) Jené's mother called back.

"J'ai vu quelquün aujourd-hui, elle ai semblé familier... mais je ne la connais pas..." (I saw somebody today, she seemed familiar... but I don't know her...) Jené told her mother, uncertaintly in her voice.

"Comment cela?" (What is this?) she asked with a frown, "Vous êtes mis au courant de chacun dans la ville!" (But you are acquainted with everyone in town!)

"Je sais, Maman... cependant, pour quelque raison elle a ressemblé à Gizéle.  Elle était avec Monsieur McKain..." (I know, Mama… for some reason she resembled Gizéle somehow. She was with Mr McKain…)

"Hm... J'irai à sa maison et lui parler ce soir, quand je suis là je demanderai si je peux voir cette fille que toi parlez de..." (Hmm... I will go to his house and talk to him tonight, when I am there I will ask if I can see this girl you speak of...)

"Ok, Maman."  (Ok, Mama.)

Outside the ground was covered in snow and the air chilled all who dared to stop out into the cold.  It was morning now, and at Porter's mansion Jewel sat in a chair near the fireplace, wrapped in a blanket and wearing thick socks to keep herself warm.  She smiled as she drank the hot cocoa Nan had given her.  Porter kneeled on the floor next to the chair, completely unaware of the cold even though he wore his usual outfit, a suit in the victorian style, his arm rested on the arm of the chair Jewel sat in as he stared blankly into the fire.  Jek, meanwhile, sat near the hearth telling jokes and laughing.

"And then!" he said, hardly keeping himself from laughing too hard, "Ma'am, I was talking to the goose!" he laughed heartily and grinned.

Nan, who was just walking in with more hot cocoa laughed, "Jehk! Ah swar yar gunna mek sum'un dah lafin' wunna dese daeys!" she chuckled as she refilled everyone's mugs.  Glancing at Porter, she poked him with the toe of her slipper, "Pohtah waht awr ya? Ihn yar awn li'l wurd?"

Porter snapped out of it and heard Jewel giggle a little, he smiled sheepishly, "Heh… guess I was!" he said, a bit embarrassed.

Jewel smiled and put her hands on Porter's arm before resting her head on them and closing her eyes.  Her voice was soft and she had a French accent as she muttered "Bonne nuit… Portier…"

At the sound of her voice, everyone in the room went silent and stared at her as she fell asleep.  A few minutes later, Porter smiled as he got over the shock of hearing Jewel's voice for the first time.

"Jewel…  She… talked…" he said, amazed and overjoyed, he looked at everyone, smiling.

Jek blinked at Jewel, "Is it just me… or did she just say something…?  Was she speaking in French…?" he asked, Porter nodded, still smiling, Jek smiled as well, "Well…  She said something… that's the good thing…  I just wish we could understand her!" with that he smiled sheepishly.

Porter, still smiling, replied, "I understood her somewhat…  I think she said 'Good night Portier'…" he laughed, "I think maybe she thinks 'Portier' is my name" he grinned and Jek laughed.

Nan meanwhile smiled and took Jewel's hot cocoa from her so it wouldn't spill then took the mug down to the kitchen to be washed.


	8. Part Eight

**A Bloody Jewel**

**Part Eight**

**By Tanya Nonsutoppo**

At Jené's house, it was still morning and Jené's mother was putting her shawl on and getting ready to go out.  As she got ready, she muttered "Hm…  C'était trop foncé et froid pour aller à la maison de McKain la nuit passée…  J'irai aujourd'hui." (Hm… it was too dark to go to the McKain house last night… I will go today.) with that, she walked out the door and looked in the direction of Porter's mansion.  She turned and looked back as she heard someone calling to her.

"Attente, Maman!  Je vais avec toi!" (Wait, Mama!  I'm going with you!) Jené called to her as she ran to catch up to her mother.

"Bien, toi pouves venir…" (Alright, you can come with me…) her mother said with a slight nod.  With that, the two of them started to walk towards town near which Porter resided in his mansion.

They arrived in town around noon and Jené's mother looked at her daughter, "Maintenant, nous devons parler anglais en ville, nous ne devons pas être considérés stupide." (Now, we need to speak English in town, we do not want to be considered stupid.) she told her, Jené nodded.

"Oui, Maman." (Yes, Mama.) she said obediently.

They walked until they reached the entrance of the mansion where Jené's mother rang the bell and they waited for someone to answer the door.  A minute or so later someone could be heard running down the stairs and it was Jek, still in his robe and slippers, who opened the door.

Jek, startled by the fact that anyone would be outside in such cold weather, didn't speak at all for a second, he found his voice eventually and spoke up after realizing he should ask why they were there, "… Oh!  We weren't expecting you to see us today, Mrs. Saphire¹!  Is there something that I can do for you?"

Jené's mother nodded as she answered "Yes, I would like to speak with Mr. McKain if I may."

Jek nodded, then noticed what he was wearing and became embarrassed, "Um… I'll take you to the parlor then I'll go get him to see you…" he said hurriedly.

"Alright." confirmed Mrs. Saphire with a nod.  Jek then lead the girl and woman to the parlor then, at a run, went to get Porter from his room.

Jené sat down on a couch, "He must be lazy…" she muttered, tilting her head at the door.

"Judge not lest you be judged, Jené." Her mother chided as she sat next to her daughter on the couch.

Porter ran in a minute later, holding a rag to his forehead, which was bleeding a little, nodded and smiled at the two on the couch, "Hello Mrs. Saphire, hi Jené!" he greeted them cheerfully.

Jené smiled at him and replied in kind with a cheerful "Hello!"

Porter sat down in an easy chair, "You'll have to forgive us if me and Jek seem a bit sloppy today, we weren't expecting anyone to come today!"

Mrs. Saphire nodded dismissively, "Perfectly alright, Mr. McKain-…"

"Please, call me Porter." He requested.

Mrs. Saphire nodded, "Thank you, Porter…  We came to talk about something unusual Jené told me about…  She says you were with a girl yesterday…"

"Huh?" Porter asked, not sure what she was leading to.

"The girl in the wheelchair!" Jené told him.

Porter raised an eyebrow, "You mean Jewel…?"

Mrs. Saphire waved a hand in the air not really interested in what he called her, "Whoever she is… Jené says she looked incredibly like her older sister, Gizéle…" she said softly.

"G-Gizéle!?" Porter inquired, startled by the proposition that his chargé could be Jené's older sister.

(¹Pronounced [sah fi re])


End file.
